The network, which will cost $3 million to build and open within six months, will stretch from Cairns to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba, running parallel to the Great Barrier Reef. The charging stations will power a vehicle in 30 minutes. Drivers will be able to charge their vehicles for free for at least a year.

“This project is ambitious, but we want as many people as possible to board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low-emissions future,” said Steven Miles, Queensland’s environment minister.